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benjohn87

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teeth misaligned ?
Posted: 01-09-08 12:27pm
OK guys, Ive been reading this forum for a few days trying to figure out what I should do and I need to just explain whats wrong with me and get some opinions. It all started about a month ago. I was smoking a cig with a few buddies and I yawned (pretty big yawn) and i heard a snap in the left side of my face and when i bit back down to close my jaw, it felt off. My teeth line up the same as usual (as least i think they do) but i felt like i could bite down as hard on the left side as i could on the right. Its hard to explain. I basicaly feel like i have less feeling on my left cheek and jaw muscles then I used to. I was all dizzy and it was swollen for a few days and was told to use motrin and warm compresses to ease the swelling. I did that and the swelling went down. But now at random times it feels like my teeth on left side arent gettin full feeling (i bite down and my rightt teeth feel like they line up fine but my left feels like only 2 teeth are touching sometimes)...The wierd thing about when I bite down and have that weird misallignment feeling, if i just as much as touch or gently caress my jaw ont he left side near the teeth, the feeling is instantly back and it feels liek my teeth line up fine. Its making me go nuts. I Know i have tmj and i have all other symptoms like eye floaters and clicking in ears. But i dont really have any pain. the only pain I sometimes get is small pain near the bottom left of my jaw and the left side. THe pain is never really near the tmj joint. When I open my mouth wide, theres no pain or trouble opening it i just get a little click someitmes on the left tmj joint but I feel like i can keep opening my mouth forever on the left side, like theyres no "pull" from the jaw muscles. I should also mention that I had xrays of my teeth and my bottom 2 molars are impacted and close to the jaw nerve but I went to an oral surgeon and he said none of my symptoms would be because of the wisdom teeth and its cuz of tmj. I was hoping it was the teeth so I can just get them pulled and be better again. My dentist said the wisdom teeth are probrably what is causing the pain/wierd feeling on left side of my face but the surgeon is telling me differently. I just dont know what to do! I hope this post makes sense and I hope someone can help me. I Know I need to get my molars out but I just hope I can get some reassurance that THAT is the problem and theres a good chance Id feel better after surgery.
Another thing I should mention is I wake up in the morning and my jaw doesnt really feel bad, But as the day goes on it gets worse, and by the end of the night I just wanna go to bed and thats when the teeth misalighment feeling is the worst and the left side of my face feels like its swollen even tho It doesnt look like it. HELP!! thank you
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Tmddyan

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Posted: 01-09-08 15:43pm
I would get the wisdom teeth pulled and then worry about it. often that helps releive the tmj symptoms. ill warn you now--it will feel like a major case of tmd after wards--give it a month to heal before you panic. and you should try to stop smoking---Smile
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catswold

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Joined: 10 Oct 2005
Posts: 404
Location: Flint, Michigan

Posted: 01-09-08 22:09pm
I think I would first see if you can heal the jaw better than it sounds right now before having the wisdom teeth pulled, but since they're impacted, you're probably going to have to do it. To me it sounds like your jaw has not yet completely healed from when you yawned. We're talking muscles, ligaments and cartilage and that can take time. Be as gentle to your jaw as you can for another month or so.

Eating, smoking and talking will tire and irritate the injured jaw during the day and that's probably why you have more pain as the day goes on. Try talking less (use a sign that tells people your jaw is sprained. Smile Also, make sure not to clench. The basic rule is to keep you teeth apart at all times, tongue resting on roof of mouth and lips together or slightly apart, relaxed. Be careful what you eat - softer foods and/or liquids are a must.

Ask your doctor or dentist to give you a referral for physical therapy or find a good massage therapist (cranial-sacral, pressure point, deep tissue, etc.) If you can, find one who does intra-oral massage. This can be wonderful - painful when done but it should last only for a few minutes anyway.

I would have used ice to reduce the swelling, but moist heat is a wonderful thing too. You might add Super Vitamin B Complex to your daily diet for healing.

And lastly, watch your posture. How you hold your neck, jaw and head doing certain activities can greatly affect the ligaments and muscles of the jaw. Stretched jaw ligaments if becoming more and more of a problem. When sitting in front of a computer or desk, do NOT slump your head forward towards the monitor or pull your chin up to see.

Give yourself more time to heal. Go see another OS for a 2nd opinion or even get a 3rd (the money IS worth it). If you decide to get the teeth removed after more healing, do some exercises first to get your jaw/mouth into shape (You-Tube has a good video if you type in TMJ) and then make sure that the OS knows you just had a TMJ episode and will be particularly gentle when cutting out the teeth and not keep your mouth open too wide too long.

Let us know how you do.
God bless...
Carol
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benjohn87

New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 08 Dec 2007
Posts: 4

Posted: 01-13-08 18:08pm
I appreciate your comments...I will try alot of those ideas. I noticed when I put my fingers in my mouth and use my thumb and pointer finger to lightly hold the back of my top or bottom jaw (near the wisdom teeth). My bite feels fine and i feel like have full power for a bite. But once i remove my light grip from my jaw and remove my fingers from mouth and try to bite down myself, it feels as if only the front half of my teeth on both top and bottom jaw are touching, and the back teeth arent. Would any of you think thats a sign that my impacted molars are swelling and messing with my bite? ...im just tryin to pinpoint the problem. Would impacted molars that are swelling up be a possible cause at to why my tmj is acting up badly when it never has before (i always had clicking but my eyes have been very very sensitive to light lately and allmy symptoms have been worse then ever)... could swollengums around my molars been why when I yawned my tmj joint was dislodged and was swollen for a few days?..I just want to know whats possible reasons as to why my tmj randomly flared up like this for the past month. I just dont see a simple yawn doing this .(especially knowing i have deep impacted molars)
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Tmddyan

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Posted: 01-14-08 13:38pm
have you had any traumatic injuries etc? or are you stressed beyond beleif?

I would first get those teeth pulled and let that heal--then worry about the jaw. sometimes that is all that needs to be done.
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webo

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Joined: 08 Jan 2008
Posts: 22
Location: , Texas

Posted: 01-17-08 18:30pm
When I first was checked for TMJ, my specialist noticed that my wisdom teeth were really banged up and cracked -- from clenching and grinding. I had them removed and I didn't experience any more problems for about 9 years. I've had some serious issues recently, so the removal of the teeth only delayed what was probably inevitable. But it's possible the removal of your teeth could make a difference for quite a long time.
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Tmddyan

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Posted: 01-18-08 13:40pm
i agree--its probably wise to get them pulled before doing anything else. you might get the jaw fixed then have them pulled and have to start all over again--so i vote for first Smile
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stuart1977

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Posted: 02-01-08 06:47am
to be honest mate even if it is your tmj i would live with it i have had 6 tmj operations leaving me with some fairly good scares but am still no further on and am now in for a jaw replacment so rest it ,if that dont work go and see a specialist but think long and hard if they offer a op cos it aint good when it goes wrong.
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Tmddyan

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Posted: 02-01-08 13:54pm
well lets just keep it positive. eventually we will all find soemthing that works
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stuart1977

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Joined: 01 Feb 2008
Posts: 5

Posted: 02-02-08 05:27am
i agree keep it possitive but its hard after 4yrs and still no light at the end of the tunnel!! but hey it could be worse (i think???)
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Tmddyan

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Joined: 13 Jun 2006
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Location: post falls, id usa
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Posted: 02-03-08 15:23pm
yes --try 15 years an counting--its so much better now than even last year. stuart--why dont you pm me and we can talk. there is light at the end of the tunnel Ill help you find it if you let me.
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